


The Hive

by ravenclaw_ramblings



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Everyones infected yay, Harmony - Freeform, Prompt Fic, apotheosis time, starkid writes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:26:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26083402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenclaw_ramblings/pseuds/ravenclaw_ramblings
Summary: The hive promised to bring people together.It promised a new family.It promised harmony.
Relationships: Alice & Bill (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Alice/Deb (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Bill & Paul Matthews, Chad/Greg/Henry Hidgens/Leighton/Mark/Steve/Stu, Charlotte/Sam (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Paul Matthews & Ted, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. Charlotte

Charlotte wasn't sure what she wanted. She enjoyed her time with Ted, sure, and she did care for him a lot, in a way that she couldn't _quite_ explain, but the thought of having a happy life with Sam called to her too. A loving marriage, the way it had been when they were younger, before he had...

That stopped her. What had happened to their marriage? Was it her fault? Or has Sam truly just been unable to commit himself to her? That was why she had been so drawn to Ted. He had promised her everything that Sam couldn't anymore. Stability, faithfulness. _Love_ , she thought. _He said he loved me. Did he? Or was it the same kind of love that Sam said he felt?_

And now here she was. She'd driven Ted away to be closer to Sam. Was it a good idea? She wasn't sure, not right now. Sam was aware, and working the usual magic with his words, swearing that he loved her, that if she would just give him another chance, then they would be together again. And yet, through his song, he seemed more sincere than he had been in years.

She could see it as he described it to her; a happy life, a family.

Harmony with the hive he was now a part of. 

~~~


	2. Alice

Alice was terrified. The girl chasing her wasn't the one she loved. It wasn't _her_ Deb. The one who had protected her when the Smoke Club pressured her to ' _take a hit_ ' as they so often did. The one who had been her first kiss, and who Alice was sure she wanted to be her last kiss too. The one who had made her happier than she'd been in years. This was someone completely different.

**"Come on out, Alice! We won't hurt you, we promise!"** the sing-song voice chorused.

_No. This isn't Deb. Don't listen to any of it. It's not her, not_ my _Deb._ Alice repeated the thought inside her head as she huddled in the corner of the choir room, waiting for her dad to come and save her. He would save her, wouldn't he? She knew he was probably mad at her after the argument, after she got off the bus, whatever he said on the phone.

Another call from outside interrupted her wondering. 

**"Don't you want to be with us Alice? We're your friends, aren't we? Don't you care about us anymore?"**

"Just stop it!" she yelled at the voices behind the door. Her hand flew to her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

**"We know you're in there Alice! Come out and join us!"**

The figures began to attack at the door, Alice's location confirmed. Alice herself looked around for a way out, but there was nothing. She was trapped. The door flew open to reveal three figures, their eyes trained on the last living girl in the building.

**"Come and join us, Alice."**

Deb- No, the one who used to be Deb stepped forward with her arm held out and grabbed Alice's hand, which had been hanging limply at her side as she stared at the floor, defeated. The thing inhabiting Deb's body used her other hand to lift Alice's head. Their eyes met and Deb whispered to Alice.

**"We can be together. Don't you want that?"**

When no response came, Deb pulled Alice forward and pressed their lips together.

Alice felt herself respond instinctively to the feeling of Deb's kiss, felt herself lean in, hoping, praying that somehow, it would bring back _her_ Deb. When Alice finally gave up hope, her thoughts drifted as she felt her body changing.

Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. After all, maybe they were telling the truth. Maybe she and Deb would be together, would be happy in the harmonious chorus of the Hive. 


	3. Bill

Alice was right. It was his fault. All of it. He had driven his wife away, and she had taken Alice. When Alice had found love in Deb, he had been unable to accept that she was growing up, and had been determined to see her as his little girl, and because of that she had believed that he hated Deb.

Bill had never truly hated anyone in his life. He had always believed that there was good in everyone. He never hated his ex-wife, or Deb, hell, he didn't even hate Ted, as much of an asshole as the man could be. And he certainly had never hated Alice.

And yet, here she was, telling him that none of this would have ever happened if it wasn't for him. Well, she was more singing than telling, but still. And the worst part was that he believed her. He believed every word. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe Alice would never forgive. Maybe it wasn't worth living. Maybe he should let these things take him.

At least if he was one of them, he could have his daughter back. After all, that was all he wanted. 


	4. Professor Hidgens

Henry hadn't seen his boys in so long. 

Greg, Steve, Stu, Mark and Leighton...

_And Chad..._

And suddenly, here they all were, just as young and free as he had remembered for all these years. He looked at himself and what he had become, ageing and paranoid, looking almost ancient compared to his colleagues who now stood with him. He had all but forgotten about Emma and the other one, who were still tied up in the corner. Emma's voice swam through his mind, suddenly foggy with the longing to rejoin the boys who had been his family. She claimed that they ' _weren't real_ ' and that ' _this is what they do_ '.

A new voice overpowered her protests, a voice he would know anywhere, no matter how many years it had been.

"Chad!" he called, his voice cracking a little as his eyes filled with hope.

"Henry."

"You haven't changed a bit, any of you!"

"Wish we could say the same," Leighton teased and Steve guffawed loudly.

"I... I missed you," he admitted to the group.

 **"We know."** The group of young men spoke suddenly in unison. _So I was right! They_ are _connected!_

"Fascinating..." They could think as one, speak as one, move as one. 

**"Don't you want to be a part of this, Henry? To be one of us again?"**

He felt himself nodding, despite Emma's yells of protest in the background. 

"Working Boys," Greg sang.

"We're up to our ass in shit," Steve added.

"What is this business?" Stu joined them.

"Five o'clock can't come soon enough," Mark began. 

"Five o'clock can't come soon enough," Leighton continued.

"Five o'clock can't come soon enough..." Chad looked directly onto Henry's eyes, the way he had so many times before, and held out a hand.

This is what he'd always begged for, wasn't it? A chance to relive his old life, to be with his boys once again. To be able to sing in perfect harmony with them. He took Chad's hand with a newfound eagerness 

_**"I can't wait to get home to my boys!"**_ he whispered excitedly as they led him to his new life. 


	5. Ted

"Bye! Fuck that!"

Truthfully, Ted was fucking tired. Exhausted, even. He had spent the whole day running from aliens or arguing and disagreeing with almost every member of their quickly diminishing party. And now here he was, one of only three survivors of this apocalypse, or whatever the fuck it was, and he'd just ditched the other two for the sake of saving his own ass. It was selfish, he knew that, but Ted had never particularly been known for his ability to put others above himself. His self-preservation had always been far too strong.

That was why everyone said he was an asshole, a jerk. A creep, as that barista girl had called him earlier. He'd finally had enough by then, and he said some things that he almost definitely regretted. Telling Bill his daughter was dead was maybe a bit too far. But Bill wasn't the only one who had lost someone. After all, Charlotte was... No. He couldn't bring himself to say that word. Not here. Not now. He'd tried to go back for her body after they escaped the crazy fucking science king's fortress, but Paul and... _Fuck, what was her name? Erica, wasn't it?_ Whatever, they're probably dead by now anyway. They'd stopped him going back for Charlotte. _God only knows where they are now._

That's when he heard it. The helicopters...

"Yes! The military!" he ran towards them. "Over here! Over here! Just save me! I'm the only survivor! Everyone else is dead!" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I tell you, you are a sight for sore eyes!" He was just talking crap now, desperate to save himself. "You know, I always support the troops, that's number one. Number two, I bleed red, white and-"

Everything stopped for a second as the world began to feel cold. Voices swam around him, singing. A light filled his eyes, a bright blue blur, and he fought weakly against it.

Until he heard her voice. 

" **Just let me in, Ted. You know you want to.** "

"Charlotte? But you're-"

" **I'm a part of the Hive now, Ted. I can never truly die.** "

"I don't want you to go, not again-"

" **Then join us. We can be together forever**."

Forever seemed like a pretty good deal to Ted. 


	6. Paul

Paul was surrounded. There was no way out. He was trapped in a circle of these things, and they were just singing at him. It was worse than any nightmare he'd ever had.

 **"Just let it out, Paul!"** they all chanted over and over. He wanted to scream at them, but as he opened his mouth, the only thing worse than all of this happened.

Paul _sang_.

The note was long and high, and it burned his throat.

"What was that?" he yelled in horror.

"You let it out." It was that damn Greenpeace girl who answered, her voice filled with a melody that made Paul feel sick.

"Was that a note-" he began to ask, but he was interrupted by... himself?

 **"or just a sound?"** His own voice answered his question, but somehow in tune with the rest of them.

_No. This isn't me! I don't sing, I don't like musicals!_

**"Am I finally coming round to a rhyming scheme?"**

"Oh god, just-"

 **"Stop it?"** It wasn't a demand, it was a question. Did he really want to stop it? Would it be so bad?

 _Yes!_ Paul tried to scream but all that came out was another line of song. 

"I'm split in two! Is this me?"

**"Or is this you? Am I dead?"**

"I'm coming apart-"

**"at the seams..."**

**"La da da da da da da da da,"** he began to hum melodically.

"No!" he forced the the thought from his head.

 **"No no no no no no no!"** the voice forced him to sing again, as the circle began to chant again.

Paul heaved and retched, trying to force this thing, this urge, whatever it was, out of his body. The voice pushed back, questioning everything Paul knew.

 _Were you ever truly happy, Paul? Imagine it, Paul, a happy life._ His head lifted to survey the people circling him. _A happy life with your friends?_

There they were. His boss, Bill, Ted, even the professor was here. Were they his friends? Or is that just what this hive wanted him to believe?

_Just join us, and you can have everything. Give us everything, and we will do the same for you. You can finally be happy. Isn't that what you want?_

"No! This is wrong! It's crazy!"

**"Maybe you've always been crazy, Paul."**

"I have integrity. I won't become like you! I won't become what I hate!"

"Do you really hate us that much Paul?" It was Bill who spoke this time.

"Bill, don't do this, please-"

"Why not Paul? Because you know we're right?" Ted interrupted.

"No. You're wrong. If you were right, then how have I avoided you so many times, huh?" he asked the question as firmly as he could, through he felt his voice waver when he met Ted's eyes. Paul knew what he had to do as they began to close in on him. 

**"We will not be resisted!"** they chorused together. If the man would not come willingly, then the Hive would have to force him. 

"You're wrong, all of you!" He took out a grenade and pulled the pin, before throwing towards the meteor. Towards the source. Their source. Paul just hoped he'd be able to see Emma again.

_"I DON'T LIKE MUSICALS!"_


	7. Emma

He was here. Paul was here! He came back for her! When the Colonel had announced that there had been no survivors from Hatchetfield, and that she would be collected by some dude called Ben Bridges, Emma had felt her heart physically fall. Even though she'd only know Paul for a few days, she liked him more than anyone else she already knew. The thought of losing him hurt, a very rare occurrence for Emma Perkins. But none of that mattered now. Paul had come for her, and they could get the fuck away from Hatchetfield, from Clivesdale, from all of this shit!

"Paul! I can't believe it! How the hell did you get out of Hatchetfield?" She didn't wait for an answer, instead opting to launch herself at him, hugging him tightly. She felt his hand brush over her hair, sending a thrill through her body.

"Emma, I'm sorry..." he sang the words directly into her ear, sending a different kind of chill down her spine. "You lost..." 

"Paul, what-?"

"Emma, I'm sorry," he did it again, and Emma froze in his grip. "You lost your way..." 

"Paul, you're- you're scaring me-" Paul continued to sing despite her protests, moving away to face an imaginary audience. 

"What if I told you I made it, and this is the life that I chose? Would you even believe it, Emma?" He came to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, before whispering the next line right to her. "Do you believe in ghosts?" 

"No! Stop!"   
  
What if I told you a story that settled all the dust? I'm still the man you trust," he becconed slowly to her, as though that would make his words true. "It's inevitable for us."  
  
"No! Get away from me! You’re not Paul, you're one of them!" Emma screeched , wrenching herself out of his grasp, and trying to run.   
  
"Before, I had no ambition. But now my life is a song! Don't you want to see me happy? Is it so tragically wrong? What if the only choice is you have to sing to survive?" He carried on his song following her as she raced away, through corridors and hallways. A nurse appeared in front of her. 

**"We must go on with the show. It's inevitable,"** she joined Paul, and Emma screamed as more of them appeared around her, singing as well.

"To know what I want now!

**"Know what you want now?"**

“Emma, I want you to join the party! Aren't you going to tip me?"

"No! That's how we met, Paul! How do you turn that around like this? Why?" Emma yelled at him, trying again to run away from the ever-growing crowd of these singing monstrosities. 

"Look at the fun we're having already! I found my calling, you can do the same now. Put your words to lyrics, and you're playing the game now! It’s all there is and all there ever was!" 

He kept singing, calling for her to join their godforsaken hive. Emma just backed away, ruining through the first door she saw. She followed it into a corridor, only to find herself back in the opposite side of the same fucking room! The things came and formed a line in front of her, blocking all the exits to the room

**"Just give us one last show-stopping number! With Emma front and center! A kick line is inevitable!"**

Emma stopped. Why did these songs sound so familiar? Then it hit her. These were the songs that had terrorised them for the whole day! And Paul- Not only was he now singing them, he was now the one leading the rest! This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. There was no fucking way. 

**"What if I told you a story, of h** **ow the world became peaceful and just?** **It was inevitable..."**

They took a step closer to her. 

**"Inevitable..."**

Now they were surrounding her. 

**"Inevitable..."**

No! She wouldn't ever be one of them! She was not like them. She never cared about their promises. She didn't need more friends. She didn't need a new family. She didn't want harmony. Not with them. 

Paul stepped forward.

 _"The apotheosis is upon us!"_

And everything went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Well, this was kinda went of the rails. I had not imagined a seven chapter story, but Alice's chapter was more than I planned, so I thought chapters was best, hope everyone didn't mind.  
> Anyway, thank you for reading The Hive, I hope you enjoyed it.  
> Thank you to the Starkid Writes Discord server for this prompt, which was 'harmony'


End file.
